Without A Doubt
by SakiKitty
Summary: Pascal and Hubert have been married for a few years, however they're more married to their jobs than themselves. Feeling like their relationship might have been a mistake, Pascal tries to make Hubert happy for his birthday! (This is essentially a sequel to my last smut-fiction so yeah... there is smut in here too!) Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

**Without a doubt.**

It was damp. Moisture lingered in the air as a fine mist that spread over quite a bit of distance. It smelled almost of a wet cave and was about as cold as one as well. Pascal shivered quietly as she gaze upon the blue and green tinted wall of pure energy in front of her, before pulling out her metal wand and placing it back in her satchel. This had become a very familiar area to her. It wasn't silent, but the hum of the mass in front of her was mesmerizing. Such a calm and peaceful place... Fodra's core. This was her new focus of study. That, and many other things surrounding the rebirth of the planet.

It had been 2 years since her union with Hubert. The wedding was held in the ever flourishing garden that was now weeding its way from that one spot on Fodra, to miles in all direction. Many people attended, like she hoped. It was a booming party full of family, friends and even important people like the President of Strahta, The Amarcian Overseer and even Richard attended. All of those who had not been there prior, were absolutely amazed at what they saw. Once a dead, lifeless planet was now turning into a evergreen of life. Fodra had become calm and peaceful. The pain and hatred it once dwelled on was gone now that Sophie was harboring Fodra Queen. It was almost as if... they gave the whole planet amnesia. The thought of this made the young researcher giggle. _"Amnesia... Sophie had amnesia too..."_ But it was true. No longer did it have any memory of all the years of torment the inhabitants made it endure. The testing and experiments. Remembering this only made Pascals small smile, turn back into what it had been before- a hopeless frown.

 _"My ancestors lived on this gigantic planet long long ago called Fodra. This planet was once home to many plants and animals. A splendid place filled with lush green forests and rivers. As humans, we want nothing more than to learn about our world and how to tap into its hidden potential to make it even better. They created a guild to harbor such people with the passion and strength to into Fodras limitless powers. The Amarcians. Day and night. Dawn til dusk my people worked tirelessly. Building contraptions, testing samples and studying the world around us. All to understand better and make the world even brighter to live in. This was our goal... But not everyone knew the limits. No one realized that the more we dug, the more we tested and the more we fiddled with our home... It was actually hurting it._

 _Our plant was a living breathing life form that we were starting to abuse. Our passion for knowledge and understanding started to blind us. Some realized this and backed down. Some even warned us that we were taking too far... But the rest remained ignorant. Those who realized the destructive path our people were headed, started a new goal... To leave Fodra and make our moon habitable... Ephinea. The project led us to make shuttles big enough to hold a handful of people and some working equipment. The other scientists scoffed and laughed, saying that what we were doing was a waste of resources and that making our home better was the ultimate goal. They had just discovered a lifeform that stemmed from the very core of our planet. It had consciousness and will and they considered it to be groundbreaking. If they could control this being then imagine what they could do. Imagine what they could learn. The thought that Fodra itself even had a consciousness was groundbreaking... And if we could control it, then we could control the very planet itself. This... Was the fall of my people. They hungered for control. For power. Upon removing Fodras consciousness, the planet started to die. It could no longer regulate the eleth being produced. Our water dried up. Our plants withered and our animals began to die. That was when enough was enough. My ancestors began the move to Ephinea. There was no longer any hope for our mother planet. She was being restrained and abused for... What? Knowledge? No... Those who thought that were simply blinding themselves from the truth. It was for dominance over their world. Our beautiful mother who loved and supported us. Who gave us a home, food and water... Began to see us as a sickness. Fodra began to lash back and started to use everything she could to eliminate us. Meanwhile, my ancestors who went to Ephinea started to establish homes for themelves and even created a barrier around our new planet to protect us from whatever may became of their experiments._

 _Fodra withered, died... All because of us... Because of my people..."_

The truth was painful.

After the leaders of Ephinea saw what Fodra was blossoming into, they immediately devised a plan to let Pascal lead her own team and monitor it. It made her feel wonderful to know that she could help baby the planet back into what it once was but... a lingering fear always presented itself. What if she did something wrong and harmed the planet again? Her goal wasn't to poke and prod at it like those did before her, but only to measure the eleth from time to time and keep record of how the flow should be, so that way if it went all haywire, she might be able to step in and help it get back on track. Absolutely no malicious intent at all... but still. Her job was so important. Even more important than keeping track of the Valkines back home! This was a whole damn planet!

Pascal turned around and faced the exit. It was late and she knew she had a team back in Telos Astue waiting for her. It had become almost ritual for her to go down there, stick her measuring kajigger into the swirly blue/green elethy mass then go back but today... there was so much on her mind. Time always flew when she was on Fodra. What seemed like days was actually weeks and what seemed like weeks actually was months. Always lost in her research. She even had her own excavation team to help her find the other lost towns and cities that were now rubble! Normally, she'd be super happy and jumping around but... today...

Reaching into her pocket, Pascal pulled out her communicator. It was blinking, per usual. Her heart began to race at the thought of opening it. About a year prior, she had figured out a way to get messages from Ephinea all the way to Fodra and it was super useful... but also gave her a little bit more stress. Sometimes she thought about tossing it away just to get rid of all messages. If it wasn't from Fourier (which it almost always was), it was Hubert... and that's why she was so afraid to open it. She knew this blinky blinky light was most probably his. Tomorrow she was scheduled to go back to Ephinea, present her measurements to all the leaders then fly back to Strahta and spend time with her husband. Husband... that word was still foreign to her. With much hesitation, she opened it up to see what her birdy had brought her. Closing her eyes and inhaling deeply, Pascal did her best to quiet the anxiety in her chest.

"Will you be arriving on time, this time? - Hubert"

Tomorrow was Hubert's 21st birthday. Last year, they had planned to spend a lot of time together, considering... that wasn't a luxury either of them had time to do, but those plans got spoiled when Pascal arrived a week late. After apologizing as much as she possibly could, he forgave her but she knew she had to make it up to him this year. This year would be different. This year would be special! But... she had no idea what to do. What would they do? She didn't have a plan in mind nor a gift to give. She was to return to Ephinea with... pretty much nothing useful. Hanging her head low, she sighed and placed her communicator back in her pocket.

"What can I do... what can I do...?" Pascal repeated to herself over and over as she took the platform up, heading back to the surface. "Everytime I make him something, he always seems unamused! No matter how cool or handy it maybe. I could try and bake him something but... last time I tried that, I nearly burned off my face... so not a good idea."

Mulling this over, the Amarcian tried to take everything into account. What did Hubert like? He likes the Sunscreen Rangers but they had already managed to collect a bunch of stuff of theirs so that wouldn't be too exciting. He likes things clean and tidy... but their house was probably already spotless. He likes playing games but that turns into wars and she wanted his birthday to be a day where he could relax and not get all uptight and bothered.

"Maybe I should ask around... maybe Asbel can think of something he might like!"

This idea lightened up her mood and brought a smile to her face. His brother had to have some sort of idea!

Upon reaching Telos Astue, Pascal was greeted by her team mates. They handed her research papers, ideas and theories along with some new sites they had found that seemed promising. She enjoyed the job she was given. Everything around her was Amarcian ruins and the more they uprooted, the more she learned... even if she had to face more terrible findings of abuse. Luckily, everything they had brought her was good and nothing bad. Most of the monsters had been losing power and even started shrinking in size, so they posed little to no threat. It was mostly smooth sailing.

"Will we be departing back home tomorrow?" One young man asked her, placing his papers back in his folder. "Its what I heard, anyway."

"Yeah yeah totally!" Pascal replied in her regular chirpy voice "I just gotta tick tack some things, put some other things into things and then I'll be all set and ready to go!"

The young man nodded and went on his way, leaving her in the middle of the city.

Telos Astue... The first time she had arrived there, the feeling was almost eeree. No signs of people, animals or any type of life form. It was a ghost town. Signs of what used to be a prominent city had become a grave yard of what used to be. Thankfully, over the time spent here with her team, Pascal had given the place some livelihood. Machines and houses were fixed, and the place was given a more homely feeling. To be exact, it almost felt like the Amarcian Enclave at this point. Now all she had to do was find more cities or towns just like this and do the same until everything was happy and peaceful. Pascal was beginning to feel much more hopeful.

Heading inside her workhouse, she noticed the mess she had made before going to Fodra's Core. "Wow, Hu would be super duper mad if he saw this place. I better clean it up." She sighed happily and began to pick things up and put them in a more organized position or back to their original spots. "Of course he's not here to see this, and probably never will be anytime soon buuuuuuuuut, its always good to leave things clean so you know where stuff is when you come back!" Living with him after their engagement gave the messy woman more order in her routine. After many scoldings and arguments, she realized that although messy was her way, it wasn't always the best way to live. Hubert had given her more structure and discipline. The thought of him and their life together gave Pascal a confusing feeling in her chest. It was a mixture of happiness but it was almost bitter sweet. Truth was, they never got time together. Her work mostly consisted up here on a completely separate planet and when she did come home, he was consumed in his work as well. If you had to collect all the days they spent together in an entire year, it might equal a month at best. Thinking back on the past fondly, the young woman wished she could go back to them just being engaged. Living in the Enclave was totally fun! Although their home life was dysfunctional and rough around the edges... it was nice having someone there with her all the time. Someone who, without a doubt, loved her. After the Overseer had approved their marriage, they stayed in their house in the Enclave until she got the job leading this team on Fodra. Hubert found it best if he move back to his own country and continue his job accordingly, and with Pascal being on another planet, they found no need to stay there. Within a short while, all of their belongings were moved to a villa in Strahta, which would be more of a permanent home for them.

Bit by bit, the room slowly looked livable again and with a long stretch, Pascal looked at her mostly clean room. She had done such a good job, Hubert would have been proud... after commenting on some stray hairs. How long had it been since she'd seen him, anyway? Probably a month or two. The thought made her heart feel heavy again and a sad smile appeared on her lips. Why was the thought of seeing the person she loved so... sad? Her own feelings confused her, and that was frustrating as well.

Pascal sat on her bed, slumped with her elbows to her knees and did her best to relax. Anxiety began to pour through her body and it wasn't a pleasant feeling at all. "I have to figure out what's wrong with me before I show my face to Hu.." She whispered to herself "He'll know something's wrong." But what exactly was wrong? She should be happy to go home and be with him. Was it just the fact she had nothing to bring him and no idea of a present? She had already decided to fly to Lhant before Yu Liberte and ask Asbel for his ideas on a good birthday present for his brother but... it seemed like more than that. Further, she delved deep into her mind.

 _"Happy thoughts... happy thoughts... I should be happy. Why aren't I happy? I'm always happy when I'm with Hu, its why we got married. HE makes me happy! So why am I so conjumbled?"_ Nervously, she began to tap her foot on the bed, trying to keep a clear mind.

 _"I do want to see him. I want to see him happy. He's always so busy and so grumpy if only I could think of something... something absolutely fantastic that would make his grumpy puss face go BAM into something smiley and happy!"_

Slowly, Pascal was beginning to realize something. Something maybe she should have realized sooner. _"Maybe I'm feeling this way because HE'S unhappy? Come to think of it... When was the last time I saw him actually happy?"_

Thinking as far back as she possibly could, memories started flashing in her brain. Asbel and Cheria's wedding, the engagement, their first night together, living together, the wedding, moving to Strahta... That was probably the last time she had seen her husband actually smile. Only a few weeks did they actually live together in Strahta before she departed for Fodra, and every time she'd come home, they'd argue or spend little quality time. The realization of this only made her heart heavier and heavier, as if being pulled down by a ball and chain.

 _"Is our relationship making him unhappy...? Am I feeling this way because I feel responsible? AM I responsible?"_ Pascal let out a loud whine of frustration, shuffled around and stomped her feet on her bed like a child. _"I'm probably a failure as a wife... I'm sorry Hu..."_

With much remorse, she pulled back out her communicator and stared sadly at his message. She still had not responded to him and, even though it was late, it was rude to ignore him. Slowly, she wrote out her response:

"I'll be home before you can reply Bananas! -Pascal"

A heavy sigh exited the girls body. Her reply had its usual happy tone so he wouldn't notice how she felt. She felt like a liar... but this was better than him needlessly worrying about silly things. This was probably all her overthinking things anyway.

Pascal forced her body to get back onto its feet and did one more stretch. "The sooner I get to sleep, the sooner I wake up and it'll be tomorrow and I'll probably feel much better then!" she thought aloud while she began to undress and get ready for bed. "Tomorrow will be a brighter and happier day and I'll totally figure something out and make Hu the happiest ever!"

The departure from Fodra went smoothly as Pascal and her team gathered all their needed belongings and findings and loaded them onto the shuttle. Luckily, everyone with her currently all lived in Fendel so she didn't have to make a bunch of drop offs. As soon as they left, she waved a happy goodbye and made her way for Lhant. She knew her visit was completely unannounced but she hope'd it would be welcomed, at least.

Landing the shuttle off to the east side of Lhant, Pascal made her way to the town. It was lively and peaceful as usual with vendors selling goods, children playing and people mingling. The vibe made the worried girl feel a little lightened. It was a sunny warm day and she had plenty of time before Hubert expected her back home. Putting some pep in her step, she quickly followed the path to Lhant Manor. After knocking a few times (Or banging, as Cheria would call it), a familiar old face opened the door and greeted her with a smile.

"Why, Miss Pascal! What bring you here?" Frederic asked with a surprised yet delighted tone.

"Heya, Frederic! I was hoping Asbel wasn't too busy so I could have a chat with him." Pascal responded, poking her head in the manor and looking around "Is he around?"

"Why yes, Master Asbel is in the study." Frederic opened the door wide and allowed the nosy girl to walk inside unhindered "I'm sure he'll be happy to see you."

"I hope so~" Pascal giggled, scratching the back of her head. "I know I kinda just came here without saying anything."

The old gentleman gave a chuckle before nodding and closing the front door behind them. Without needed guidance, Pascal walked up to the study, knocked a few times before letting herself in.

"Hey Asbel, you in?" She called before letting herself in anyway.

It had been a while since she had seen her old friend and new brother-in-law. There before her he sat, with a bunch of papers piled high and a frazzled look on his face. Seeing her happy grin made the young man smile as he stood from his desk.

"Hey Pascal, I didn't expect you were coming.." He said in a peculiar tone "What's up?"

She walked slowly to his desk, pulled up a chair and sat down comfortably. "Not much, just was hoping you could help me out with a little problem I'm having.."

"A problem? You? No way!" Asbel sounded surprised and gave a curious laugh before sitting back down again. "You're one of the smartest people I've ever met! How could I help you with a problem?"

Pascal nervously looked around the room before back at her friend "Well you see..." She started, doing her best to collect her thoughts. "You know what today is, right?"

Asbel gave her a blank look for a second before moving some of his papers over and pulling out a small calendar. Giving another brief moment of silence, the young Lord let out a loud gasp before smacking his forehead. "Holy crap! Its Huberts birthday! I totally forgot!"

"Yeah..." She let out another giggle and began to fidget in her seat.

"Time sure flies, huh?" Asbel started to scratch the back of his head before giving Pascal a sympathetic look. He knew fully well that she'd understand being busy and forgetting what day it was and hoped she wouldn't call him out on being a jerk and forgetting his only brothers birthday. To his good fortune, thats not why she was there.

"You see, Asbel... I don't know what to do!" Pascal started to explain with the feeling of helplessness starting to creep back up in her chest. "I know what Hu likes but at the same time, I totally don't! Normally I make him cool gadgets and stuff and he thanks me but I know he isn't like 100% happy with it! I don't know what I should do to surprise him today or make his day the absolute best ever! Do you have any ideas? You know, being his brother n stuff?"

Asbel crossed his arms and gave a puzzled look. He pondered for a while before shaking his head in disappointment. "I'm sorry, Pascal. I honestly don't know how to help you with this one. Hubert isn't the same as he was when we were kids, other than liking the Sunscreen Rangers but I'm sure you guys have a bunch of that stuff now."

"Yeah, " She giggled happily "We got lots of stuff!"

"Exactly.." He continued. "And we haven't really been close either. I have no idea what you could do..."

Pascal frowned and hung her head. This was her best idea of getting an idea and it failed.

"Great..." She moaned, "Now what do I do?"

"I'm sorry..." Asbel sounded just as disappointed. She failed as being a wife and he failed at being a brother. They were in the same boat on this one.

Suddenly a small knock on the door caught their attention. Both looked up and watched as Cheria entered the room with a pot of tea and some cookies. Noticing Pascal, she gave a small surprised smile and walked towards them.

"I knew we had a guest but I had no idea it was you, Pascal" She said, placing the tray on a side table. "If I'd have known you were coming, I could have prepared some banana pie."

Once the tray had been set on the table, Pascal quickly noticed something odd with Cheria. Staring puzzled for a while, she raised her eyebrow "Cheria..."

The couple smiled and glanced at each other. They hadn't announced their good fortune yet but was pleased their friend had noticed without being told.

"I think you should stop eating so many cookies... They're totally making you fat."

Instantly, Asbel let out a loud cough before bursting into a fit of laughter as Cheria stomped her foot with anger. "Really, Pascal?" She growled. "Really?!"

"Oh...!" Asbel moaned, trying to catch his breath. "Pascal, run before she comes after you!" He warned, trying to hold back his amusement.

Pascal looked back and forth at them both, not really getting it. "Huh? Why? I was just trying to give a helpful suggestion!"

"Pascal, are you serious?" Cheria challenged, walking over to her oblivious friend and standing inches away. "Have a closer look..."

The Amarcian narrowed her eyes and looked at Cheria all over. She looked pretty much the exact same as she had seen her last except her stomach protruded much more. Maybe not much much more, but enough to where you could notice. "I'm looking and I see that maybe your skirt is getting too small for you?"

"PASCAL!" Cheria hollered, sending Asbel into yet another fit of hysterical laughter.

The door opened once more and in walked a happy sight. Sophie came in looking confused and concerned. "I heard shouting, is everyone alright?"

"Oh heya Sophie!" Pascal smiled and waved. "Everything's totally fine, I was just trying to explain to Cheria that maybe she should get bigger clothes or something."

Sophie gave the biggest smile Pascal had ever seen and twirled around in a circle "I'm getting a sibling, Pascal! I'm so excited"

Another moment of silence past before the light bulb in Pascal's head finally turned on. She opened her mouth and let out a big "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" before jumping to her feet and grabbing Cheria's hands. "Ohhh! Thanks so awesome! I knew you could totally do it! And here I thought maybe you've just been eating too many cookies! I'm sorry Cheria!"

Gritting her teeth, the impatient woman did her best to fight back her frustration. She knew all too well how dense Pascal could be at times and had to remember that she wasn't too far along so its not too farfetched to be mistaken. "Its alright... Pascal."

"I'm gonna have a new baby brother or sister!" Sophie sang, dancing around in happiness.

Feeling as if she now needed to get back at Pascal for her unfounded rudeness, Cheria gave a snarky smirk to both her husband and Pascal. "So when will it be your turn, huh?"

Sophie's ears instantly perked up and stared wide eyed at Pascal "Yeah! When will I have a cousin too?! I want more family! Oh it will be so fun!"

The comment had thrown Pascal way off of her standing and caused her to take a step back. "Huh?" Now she was really confused.

"Yeah, Pascal." Asbel queued in, still with much amusement. "When are you and Hubert going to start thinking of having children?"

"Children?!"

"Babies everywhere!" Sophie continued to sing and twirl around before finally hugging Cheria from behind. "We're gonna have a big family, right Cheria?"

Cheria had accomplished what she had sought out to do and get back at Pascal. She placed her hands upon her adopted daughters and smiled sweetly "You're absolutely right, Sophie!" but her fun and games weren't over yet. No one dare call her fat and get away with it. Cheria turned back to Pascal with an evil smile "I'm sure you've already started trying, right?"

"Huh?!" Pascal was hopelessly lost, confused and bewildered. This was not something she was expecting upon coming her and had no idea how to respond.

"Have you done the baby dance, Pascal?" Sophie asked innocently, peaking out from behind Cheria who was now gleaming with vicious revenge.

Pascals face became as red as her hair and was unable to speak. Now she was finally understanding just how flustered Hubert could get when uncomfortable things were brought up.

"Come on now, guys..." Asbel scolded, doing his best to call off the dogs his wife has set off into the room. "Pascal didn't come here to get put on the spot here. Whatever her and my brother have or haven't done isn't really our business, right?"

"Oh right, why are you here?" Cheria questioned, feeling finally avenged. "Did something happen?"

"So... I'm not getting a cousin...?" Sophie sadly asked.

"Oh, right!" Pascal started to regain regular color in her face as she remembered why she was here in the first place. "Today is Hu's birthday and I totally have no idea what I should do. I've already tried a bunch of things in the past to make the day extra super special but... doesn't really work out so well. Do you guys have any suggestions?"

"Why don't you push him down, and let him know you mean business?" Sophie inquired helpfully "The Captain said sometimes its just what a man needs... whatever that means."

"S-sophie!" Asbel stammered, a light hue of red gracing his cheeks. "You need to stop visiting the Captain by yourself."

"No, wait!" Cheria chimed in. "Maybe Sophies on to something..." Quickly, Cheria grabbed her confused friend's hand and started dragging her out the study. "Sophie, eat those cookies and stay with Asbel, we'll be back shortly."

"W-wait, Cheria! Hold on!" Pascal yelled, struggling to get away. "Where are we going?"

"To the kitchen." Cheria responded, still dragging her arm with much force so she couldn't flee.

"Why we going there?"

"You'll see."

"Will there be banana pie?"

Cheria let go of Pascal's wrist once they reached the kitchen doors. "Only if you're good."

The Amarcian pouted "I'm always good..."

"Calling me fat wasn't very good, you know!"

"Awww! Come on! I didnt know!" Pascal began to plead. "Pleaseeeeeeeeeee?"

Cheria opened up the doors and guided her companion inside. Pascal had never actually been in the Lhant manor kitchen before and her eyes widened in amazement.

"This place is HUGE!" She gasped. "I bet you could make like a thousand cakes in here!"

"Well I managed to make your wedding cake in here, didn't I?" Cheria spoke proudly of herself "And that was no small feat."

"Ya ya, I know! It was awesome! but holy crap this place is cool!" Pascal, now free to do as she wished, walked around slowly gazing at all the pots and pans and cookware aligned on the walls and hanging from fixtures.

The young pregnant female sat down on the island chair in the middle of the kitchen and motioned for her amazed friend to come back. "Lets have some girl talk, shall we?"

Pascal, although still confused, did as she was told and sat next to her "Y'okay, what are we gonna talk about? This got to do with today?"

"Yes. Its about what Sophie said in the study." Cheria responded, with an unusually calm tone "I think she might have been on to something, even though she didn't know it."

"Er... I don't know, Cheria" Pascal started, raising an eyebrow "I don't think I really want to push him down and tell him I mean business. It sounds like something that will get me yelled at, actually."

Cheria's face began to turn pink as she shook her head and looked around to make sure no maids were lurking. "No, Pascal. Not literally pushing him down and saying you mean business."

"Then... I'm not following." The researcher confessed.

"Yeah... I know." Cheria began to explain. "Look, you're away all the time tending to Fodra and its growth, right?"

"Right!"

"And Hubert is in Strahta managing their military and leading troops, right?"

"Yep!"

"When do you guys have free Private time to spend together?" Cheria stopped, hoping Pascal would catch on.

"Very little to none, actually." Pascal sighed sadly and scratched the back of her head. "Either I'm running all over Ephinea presenting my research and findings to everyone who wants to know or he's out on some mission... and the small times we are both actually in the same place at the same time, he's too exhausted to really talk or do much and I'm just kinda doing whatever."

"So then why not use all of today making him feel happy? Ya know... being a wife and tending to his needs. Stuff like that." Cheria asked, feeling a little embarrassed they were even talking about such things.

"Thats what I want to do but I'm not entirely sure what I should do. He's always so uptight. I was thinking maybe I could give him a back massage or something but... I don't think I'd be any good at it. I got like, two left hands or something." Pascal giggled, waving her hands about.

"No, No, Pascal..." Cheria let out a big sigh of disappointment. "I didnt mean something like a back massage, although that's not too far from what I'm suggesting..."

"Then, I'm lost."

"I'm aware."

"You say things like being a wife and tending to his needs..." Pascal repeated back to her friend. "Do you mean like, cooking and cleaning and polishing his shoes? Cuz I'm not good at anything like that either. Do you think I'm a terrible wife? I'm starting to think I might be." She finished, lowering her head.

Placing her hand on Pascal's, Cheria looked up at her dear friend with concern "Pascal... I don't think you're a terrible wife and I'm pretty sure Hubert doesn't either."

"But... how do you know?" Pascal's voice became tainted with sadness that she couldn't hold back. She started to feel heavy and dragged down just like yesterday. "What if the reason hes unhappy is because I have no idea what I'm doing?"

 _"Oh brother.."_ Cheria thought as she listened to her friend express her worries. _"Not only does she have no idea what I'm trying to say, but she's scared that everything is wrong and its her fault too. What am I gonna do with her?"_

"Maybe running away and getting married wasn't a good idea, ya?" Pascal finished, looking up into her friends eyes and hoping for answers.

"Pascal.." Cheria grabbed her friends hand and gave her a stern look. "I know this is absolutely none of my business but when was the last time you and Hubert were, ya know, close?"

"You mean like, hung out?"

"No! I don't mean like hanging out and playing a boardgame. I mean like..." Her voice quieted down into a whisper "Got intimate?"

A few seconds flew by before the distraught Amarcian caught on, and once she did, her nervous feeling started to come back. "Oh... that. So you really weren't kidding when you said you thought we should have kids, ya?"

"Well... I was sort of joking but that's not really what I mean either..." Cheria explained, not entirely sure how to respond to make the girl understand. "I mean, What I'm trying to say is maybe it would be a good idea if the two of you just had lots of alone time to practice and be close with each other."

"So you're saying you want me to do the naughty with Hubert as a birthday present?"

Cheria's face turned a darker shade of red and she closed her eyes with both embarrassment and frustration. "To put it bluntly, yes. Thats what I'm saying."

Pascal gave her friend a blank look. "...Thats a really odd birthday present, Cheria."

"Yes. I know. Its just as odd suggesting it but sometimes the way to win over a stressed husband is to use your womanly charm and make him feel wanted."

Pascal looked down at herself, examining her body and then looked at Cheria. "I don't think I have womanly charm."

"Oh don't be silly, of course you do!" Cheria reassured. "You just gotta.. you know.. be a little sexy, is all."

Pascal's blank look did not let up and, if possible, became even blanker. "I don't know how to be sexy. That sounds complicated."

"Pascal, you're ridiculous!" Cheria whined, taking her hand off of her friends and placing one of her forehead in frustration.

"W-what?! I'm just being honest!"

"I know..." Her frustration continues "I know..."

"Do you have any tips?" Pascals lips curled into a cats smirk as she knew Cheria was probably the best person to ask about things like this. "You have LOTS of womanly charm! And probably more experience with charming using this womanly woman-ness of yours!"

"PASCAL!" Cheria yelled, unable to contain her irritation any longer.

Pascal jumped and nearly fell off her chair "What?! I'm just trying to learn! It's a compliment, ya?"

"That... Thats a really weird compliment and I don't really know what to say to you!" Cheria confessed, beginning to feel overwhelmed. She knew this talk wasn't going to go smooth but this was truly ridiculous.

"Just tips!" Pascal raised her arms over her head "Ya know? What I should and shouldn't do to be 'sexy'! In fact.." She reached in her front pocket and pulled out a tiny notepad and pen. "I'll even write down all of your tips so I can use them later tonight!"

"Pascal I can't really give you tips on wooing your husband..." Cheria's head was beginning to pound as she couldn't take much more of this.

"But you've been a wife longer AND you've known Hu longer! You're totally the best person to give me tips!"

"That all might be true but hes not MY husband and I don't know him like THAT!"

Pascal scratched the back of her head again, pen still in hand. "But... they're both guys so I can't imagine their all that different in likes, right?"

"Pascal I am not going to discuss my personal relationship with Asbel or his likes in bed with you!" Cheria shrieked. "You're going to have to figure this out yourself."

"But..!"

"NO BUTS!" Cheria picked herself up from her chair to signal the end of this discussion. "Now I suggest you fly on back to Strahta and maybe ask him what he wants?"

"But I thought I was supposed to push him down and show him I mean business?" Pascal followed as they both walked to the kitchen doors.

"You know... Or that too." Cheria replied, leading them out back into the lobby and in front of the study room. "Maybe he's into that sort of thing. I wouldn't know."

Pascal let out a small laugh. "You know, Malik said the same thing once before."

Cheria responded with a sarcastic version of her friends laugh. "Haha... ya... he would."

"I guess I should be on my way back to Strahta then..." The grateful Amarcian smiled at her friend "Before I do though... What's it like having a person growing inside you? Is it all squishy and weird?"

Cheria ran both her hands down her protruding stomach and smiled "No... right now the baby is too small for me to notice much. In a few more months, he'll be much bigger and you'll be able to feel him if you touch my stomach too."

"You say he like if you know it's a boy. How do you know?" Such things were beyond Pascal. She noticed Cheria as she spoke and carried herself. She honestly seemed happy.

"I don't, actually. It just seems... I don't know, right to say he." Cheria responded, rubbing her belly some more. "Maybe one day, you'll understand."

"heh... Maybe..." The thought was foreign. A life form growing inside her organs sort of sounded like a parasite. wasn't the most pleasant through but maybe one day she'd know the joy that her friend was feeling at that very moment. "Well, I'll be on my way then. Eat more cookies and grow a healthy and smart baby!"

Cheria scowled at the remark but knew it was in good spirit. "Thanks, Pascal. I hope today works out for the best and the both of you two need to come visit more often when you have time!"

"Will do!" Pascal solution before exiting the manor. As much as she wanted to say her goodbyes to Asbel and Sophie, she knew she had much more important things to do today... no pun intended.


	2. Chapter 2

Staring at the clock in front of him, Hubert tapped his foot impatiently. It was almost noon!

 _"What could she possibly be doing! That woman better have not forgotten that she's to come home today..."_ Completely ignoring the fact of his birthday, Pascal also had a scheduled meeting with President Paradine and his father to present her findings and give theories on how to further improve their country using their water valkines. The appointment had been made over a month ago and Hubert made sure to drill it in his wife's head before she flew back off to Fodra.

He could hear the _tik tik tik_ of his clock behind him and it was only driving him more mad. Getting up, he pushed his chair away from his desk and looked at it once more. Placing his thumb and forefinger on the bridge of his nose, he proceeded to shake his head and leave his study. He couldn't have her embarrass him further. Not only was her mission riding on this meeting, but their integrity as well.

Hastily, Hubert went into his living room to find something to clean, something to keep his mind off the time. Everything was just as pristine as it should be. _"Damn.."_ He had made it a point to never hire a maid for this very reason. Whenever something started to eat at him, whether it be about work or Pascal, he would take his frustrations out on the house and clean it until it was absolutely spotless clean. A clean house, a clear mind.

Making his way into their bedroom, he started nitpicking and remaking their bed. Their bed. Mostly just felt like his. They almost never shared it, even when she was home. He would wake up to find her curled in a ball on the sofa, papers all over their coffee table and a smile on her face. She was more married to her work than to him.

 _Tik tik tik tik..._

Hubert looked at, yet, another clock on his wall. Only 10 minutes had passed! He was going insane. The meeting was in only 30 more minutes and she had only sent him that one message. No message of being late. No message to postpone it, nothing. Should he go down to the President's office himself and apologize ahead of time? Another "I apologize for my wife, she has terrible time conception but hopefully she'll be here soon"? No. There was no need for that yet. She still had some time... even if not a whole lot. He walked over to her dresser and with his index finger, slid it across the wood. Dust. He hated dust. It caused airway constriction and allergies. It was a fine, dry powder made up of tiny particles of dead skin cells and earth matter. It was unsightly! Quickly, he placed a mask on his face, grabbed his cleaning spray and rag and began to dust their room. It was amazing how much dust could be in here when this room was hardly occupied. It was probably due to the window being left open at night. On the very rare times Pascal did manage to sleep in their bed, she always opened up the window to let the "cool night's breeze" in. "Its almost like if I'm sleeping outside!" She'd tell him. As if sleeping on the ground outside and sleeping in their warm comfortable bed were the same thing. Perhaps she was just a stray cat, like Malik had mentioned. Not meant to be tamed or domesticated. Always on the move and doing whatever she pleased. Completely ignoring all responsibilities and appointments! And yet... He still loved her.

After cleaning the dresser and placing the items back in their original places, Hubert placed his cleaning supplies down and sat on their bed. He was beginning to remember how he loved her... and how much he missed her. Her random stories about nonsense. Her incoherent babbling about her findings or ideas. The way she'd curl up like a cat next to him in bed. In this bed. This bed he was sitting on right now. Turning his head to the left, he could see her side of the bed. Completely unslept in for God knows how long. Just what was the point of getting married if it didn't mean spending the rest of their lives together? Actually Together. Not him away on missions, her on a completely different planet and them completely immersed in their work even when in the same room together. At this point, the only benefit of their marriage was him not having to worry about another man stealing her away but... the likelihood of that wasn't exactly a big percentage. Most of her team consisted of Amarcian women from Fendel with only a few males from Strahta and Windor. He remembered that at one point in time, he thought she might even prefer women, considering how she'd always be all over Sophie and making Cheria give her a bath. Fourier and Poisson as well. Her life was actually full of women she'd be touching or would be touching her.

This thought actually brought a slight red into his cheeks. The thought of Pascal actually fancying women more than men... what was he thinking? Of course, it could still possibly be true however if that were the case, they wouldn't have ever engaged in sexual intercourse. At least, probably not.

The Strahtan soldier glanced up at their clock once more before bringing himself back on his feet.

"I'm going to send her one more message and if she doesn't reply within the next 5 minutes, I'm going to see the President myself and apologize on her behalf." He spoke aloud, bringing his cleaning supplies back to their proper closet and closing the door. He took out the communicator and opened it. Still no messages from her. He promptly began to type out another message, hoping she would get it sooner than later.

"I hope you have not forgotten our scheduled meeting with the President today. If you do not show up here in a matter of minutes, I will be forced to go on ahead of you and hopefully stall time or apologize for you constant rudeness in regarding our scheduled meetings. -Hubert"

He proceeded to stand there for the next 5 minutes, waiting for a sudden reply however, much to his dismay, there was none. Quickly, he gathered his uniform jacket and left his house.

The sun stung his blue eyes as he stepped out. The heat was dry and suffocating, per usual. Slipping his arms through his jacket, he properly fastened it to himself and began to walk.

 _"Why is it that insufferable woman cannot take the time or consideration to keep her dates?!"_ He thought angrily to himself as he stomped his way to his destination. _"If its so much fun to ramble to me about her job, I'd think she'd find it most amusing to do such a thing to the people actually involved!"_ The sun, heat and dry sandy air only made his anger rise. As he reached the President's door, he was properly greeted by the soldiers standing guard and they let him in.

Much to Huberts surprise, sitting in the chair in front of him was just the person he was grumbling about. With fuzzy, out of control white and red hair, smiling back at him with her usual happiness, sitting next to his standing father and in front of the President. Unable to speak at such an unexpected surprise, Hubert gawked.

Pascal brought her arm up, almost hitting Mr. Oswell in the face, and waved to her husband excitedly. "Heya Hu! Come sit down next to me~" She said, patting the seat next to her with her free hand. "We just started!"

Garrett Oswell crossed his arms and looked away in a stuck up manner "Yes. Nice of you to arrive Hubert." He commented in a smug sort of way.

Now confused at what they were all insinuating, Hubert pulled out a pocket watch. It was exactly noon, which meant he was on time.

"Am I late?" He questioned, looking to the President for reassurance.

President Paradine smiled warmly at his Lieutenant and motioned with his hand to be seated. "Have a seat, Hubert. Pascal arrived not too long ago so we decided to start a little earlier. I hope you don't mind?"

A little flustered, Hubert shook his head and did as he was told.

The conversation went on as planned. Pascal offered up a folder of measurements and calculations along with her ideas and theories on how Fodra was doing. After a pleasant talk about her findings, she offered up a few more ideas in regards to how to utilize Duplemar more efficiently. Some of which was shot down indefinitely: "No, a giant pool in the middle of Strahta would not be a good idea. The use of too much water could deplete our mandatory water supply even if the residents of the country would enjoy it." and some were considered: "I think an underground pipe system might be a thing to look into. If all our residents could use it to get the water they need quicker, and be able to cool off their homes individually, it might make for a more pleasant and comfortable future." But all in all, the meeting was a success on Pascals part.

Hubert was proud to have such an intelligent wife, even if she was rough around the edges and borderline eccentric.

President Paradine shook both their hands at the end of the conference and the two went on their way.

"Boy! It was kinda intense in there, ya?" Pascal asked, crossing her arms in back of her head to relax as they walked.

"Then an entire country rests on your research, that would be something to expect." Hubert replied, glancing over at her in an almost amused look. "You seem cheerful, either way."

The Amarcian giggled and winked at her husband, making him give a small blush and turn back in front of them.

"Sooooo..." She started, looking back in front of them and walking at a more steady pace. "What do you wanna do today? Got any plans? Ideas? Suggestions?"

Hubert pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "I have more paperwork that needs to get done, aside from that, I have nothing planned."

"And... No suggestions or whatever?"

"None."

Pascal frowned "Aww..." There went that idea for him telling her what he wanted to do to make the day special.

Hubert gave her a small look before clearing his throat. "I figured you might have something in mind. You generally do and I find there to be no reason why today would be any different."

"Well... Its sorta, ya know, your day. Not mine." She started, still frowning "And it seems like the ideas I've tried before kinda died or came back in my face. I want today to be special, ya? So maybe you should instruct me on how to do that!"

Hubert understood her plight but really had nothing in mind. He never considered his birthday to be of any great significance and really... having her around and happy was enough. Telling her that though... seemed a bit childish.

The remainder of the walk home was completely silent and made Pascal feel a bit uncomfortable. She hoped he was thinking of ideas or something but didn't want to ask again to bother him.

Hubert unlocked the front door of their villa and escorted her inside. Everything was as it was when she had left over a month ago. Clean, in place and organized, just how her husband prefered it. Pascal walked over to the couch and plopped herself down. If she was any heavier than she was, he might have scolded her for "roughing up the furnature" but luckily for her, she was light as a feather.

Hubert eyed her for a moment, before removing his uniform jacket, placing it on the coat rack and removing his shoes. Just then, he noticed she had not taken hers off.

"Pascal, you shouldn't track anymore dirt and sand into the house then necessary. Please be so kind as to remove your boots and place them by the door." He scolded.

There went her hope of not being scolded today. Giving a little whine, she got back up, removed her shoes and stood in front of him.

"W-what?" He stuttered, confused and flustered.

"I just noticed how much shorter I am without my boots, is all~" She smiled, measuring with her hand to his forehead. "I'm like, a whole 2 inches shorter compared to with em on!"

Hubert rolled his eyes and patted his wife on the head. "Fascinating." He remarked, and moved around her and out of the livingroom, leaving her alone.

Pascal walked back to the couch and sat down. She'd thought he might be more warm and welcoming towards her but that didnt seem to be the case. With a sad sign, she made herself comfortable and stared up at their ceiling. Moments later, Hubert came back out with a tray of food and beverages. With much delight, the girl perked back up and sat in more of an upright position.

"Whats this?" She asked, her eyes fixated on the food in front of her.

Hubert gave a cocky grin and set the tray down on the coffee table in front of them.

"I figured you probably haven't eaten today, and if I let you have your way, you'd eat nothing but bananas so I fixed up some sandwiches and tea."

"Awwwwww!" Pascal yelled, wrapping her arms around him once he sat next to her. "You're the best, Hu!"

Huberts cocky grin changed to a more satisfied smile and he nodded. Even though it was his birthday, he couldn't leave her to cook for them or the house might explode... or he'd eat nothing but banana flavored things which were not in his taste. Making her happy was also a plus.

"So, why didnt you stop here before going to see the Mr. Paradine?" Hubert inquired, sipping some tea.

After chewing some food, Pascal did the same. "Well, by the time I arrived in Strahta, I looked at the time and was like WOAH HOLY CRAP and decided it would be faster if I rushed there instead. I also figured you'd get there sooner or later anyway so it was a win-win~"

"Did you get my message?"

Pascal looked at him blankly for a moment before rummaging through her pockets and giggling nervously. "I think the communicator might have dropped out of my pocket while flying the shuttle. That happens sometimes... Sorry Hu. Was the message important?"

"No. Not particularly." He replied, setting down his tea cup and picking up a sandwich.

"Uh... Y'okay!" Pascal wasn't too worried about it. If it was important, she was sure he'd just tell her right here and right now.

"But that doesn't exactly account for you arriving in Strahta so late." Hubert stated, now giving her a suspicious look. "Did you have trouble getting ready or leaving Fodra?"

His interrogation started to make the Amarcian feel uncomfortable. She didn't want to lie but telling him that she stopped to see his brother for advice seemed like a less than good idea. As the tried to think of a good excuse, she began to nervously fiddle with her hands, giving Hubert an obvious indicator that she was hiding something. Hubert calmly kept composure and waited a while to see what she would come up with.

"I... ran out of fuel?" Was the best she came up with.

Placing both his food and tea down, Hubert faced her looking dead serious and almost angry. Pascal knew that she had not fooled him and tried again.

"My passengers weren't ready fast enough?"

"Are you asking me or are you trying to convince me?" He bluntly asked, crossing his arms disappointment. It was if he was asking his grown daughter why she came home late from a party or date. He felt her charade was childish and unnecessary. Without letting her defend her case, Hubert felt he had one more thing to say. "Pascal, you are a grown woman and have no need to lie or hide things from me. I would greatly appreciate it if you would just come out and say whatever it is you're trying so poorly to hide!"

She knew she had lost the battle and hung her head in shame. "Well..." She started, unsure where to go from there.

"Yes? I'm listening."

"I just..." She continued to trail off, trying to buy herself some time and explain in a way he wouldn't get so mad.

"Out with it, Pascal."

Pascal knew there was no getting away with it and decided it would be best if she explained from start to finish exactly what she did and why.

"I really wanted today to be special for you so you'd be totally 100% happy and cheerful, since you're always so busy and mad about stuff, so I thought: Hey, why not go ask Asbel for some advice on what we could do for today? Being his older brother, I'm sure he'd have some sort of cool idea on what could make you super happy.."

Hubert quietly listened, doing his best not to tense up and further intimidate his skittish wife. Pascal was a very innocent and pure soul. He knew fully well that nothing she did had any malicious intent however her actions always tend to get her in trouble.

"Unfortunately... he had nothing and the idea flopped." She finished with a heavy sigh mixed with despair and relief.

Pushing up his glasses, Hubert cleared his thoughts before speaking. "Of course that idea was a flop." He said with a hint of amusement in his voice. "Asbel and I have never been close so there is no surprise that hes unaware of my interests, past or current."

"Yeah... He said something similar about you guys never really being close..." Pascal said while scratching the back of her head. It was going better than she had expected, even if not completely well.

"However..." He continued "I would have much prefered if you'd just come to me in the first place regarding this matter. Not flying to Lhant and trying to hide it or make up lies. You know you're one of the worst liars this world has ever seen."

"I know..." Her head hung further. Now it was going as she had expected.

"If you know, then why do it?" Hubert asked painfully. "We've been over this quite a few times."

Pascal could feel her emotions were getting the best of her. From the moment she landed in Strahta, she had done her best to keep them in check but there was only so much she could hold back. Inside her soul were months of unanswered questions and doubts that had been piling up. From questioning the morality of working on Fodra to the looming question of if she truly made her husband happy and if them being together was really the best idea. Although Pascal was always a happy, carefree person, she was also human. Even if shes good at pushing the small things aside and laughing at the thought if impossibilities, she still had her own worries and fears. There is no such thing as a world without darkness, for it cannot exist without light.

Hubert could see the anguish he was causing her and began to second guess his motives. All he meant to do was scold her and tell her not to do it again, however there were only so many times he could repeat himself over the course of their relationship. Still, he had not meant to upset her. Upsetting or causing her pain was the last thing he wanted to do and yet, he could see he was accomplishing just that. With hesitation, he reached out and touched her shoulder, causing her to snap back into reality and stare at his with wide eyes. Losing the fight against herself, tears began to trickle down her face.

"Pascal..." he called to her, quietly and with much concern. He was probably the most unfit person to comfort her even if it was his responsibility. How does one fix what he has just broken? Surely nothing he could say at this moment would make her smile and the thought of this made the lieutenant feel useless. Feeling it be better if he say no more until she spoke, Hubert remained silent.

The little act of kindness he showed her eased the pain enough for Pascal to let out a fake smile. Sure, she felt like crap and it seemed as though her heart were being overwhelmed with negativity and sadness but she could see in her husband's face that he didn't mean to upset her. This was probably all a big accident.

"I'm sorry, Hu..." Pascal said, wiping her tears. "I don't mean to be a bad wife.."

Hubert used his free hand to help her try her tears. "don't speak such nonsense. You're not a bad wife."

"But.. but...!"

Hubert shook his head and lifted her chin up with his index finger. "You don't have to be sorry. I'm sorry for acting irrationally and yelling at you more than necessary. I realize that you only did that for my benefit, even if it didn't work out in our favor. All I ask, is you just be honest with me from now on."

She hung her head low again, feeling her tears about to well up "But you'll yell at me again if I tell the truth." Her voice was whiny and stricken in grief. Hubert had no idea his constant scoldings could affect her so much.

"Pascal..." He spoke calmly and lovingly "I only scold you so you do better next time. Yes, I... might get mad when you tell me the truth but honesty is always better than lying." She knew his words were true and she proceeded to nod in agreement. "Good." He finished, giving a small smile.

"I still want to make your birthday the best and I don't know how. This sucks.." She confessed, raising her head to his level and giving a small smile back, wiping away the rest of her tears.

"Having you here is enough to make the day just fine." Hubert assured her. He gave her a small pat on the head then stood up and reached his hand out for her to take it. "I may not be very good with consoling, however this is about my birthday and what I want and, if I must confess, all I really want is for you to be home and for us to not be absorbed in work. I have finished the majority of my paperwork already and the rest will have to wait til tomorrow. You've already finished up with your manditory meeting so you're work is finished for today. We are both here, together in our own house. This is enough to make my day perfect."

As she listened to the young Lieutenant's words, she could feel her heart becoming lighter. Grabbing his hand, she could feel the warm emanating from him into her. Maybe it was all in her head after all. All the doubt and worry... it was all just her being silly. The only issue he really had was them not spending enough time together, just as Cheria had suggested.

 _"Oh yeah! Cheria's advice of making Hu happy by... being sexy."_ Pascal thought as she stood up in front of her husband. _"I still don't exactly know how to do that though. Ugh... It shouldn't be too hard, right? All I gotta do is... work my 'womanly charm'? Whatever that means. Maybe I should ask Hu what he likes most about me! That might totally work! Pascal, you're brilliant!"_

"Hey, Hu?" Pascal asked, putting a finger up to her lips and eyeing him with interest. "What do you think my womanly charm is?"

The question was very blunt and caught him off guard. "W-what?!"

"You know... My womanly charm! What do you like most about me being a female, or whatever" She did her best to clarify, even though he was fully aware what she meant.

The nervous Hubert pushed his glasses back into place and looked away. Luckily, he saw their dishes needed to be collected and put away and found this to be a great opportunity to escape.

"I don't know what brought this question on," He said as he gathered their belongings "But I don't see how such information will benefit you. I like you for you. All of you. Nothing specific or in particular."

She could hear the awkwardness in his voice and grinned with amusement as she watched him clear the coffee table and rush to the kitchen. For a few seconds she debated on if she should follow him to continue the pestering, or wait until he comes back but... chasing him seemed much more fun and she needed a good pick-me-up after crying.

"Huuuuuu~ Come back!" She called out, rushing to follow him into the kitchen. Inside, she found him placing the dishes into the sink and rinsing them out, leaving the tea pot off to the side for later cleaning. She came up behind him and stood on her tip-toes to get close to his ear. "Its a simple question, ya? Just tell me what you like about my womanly charm!"

Her speaking in his ear drove a shiver down his spine and the young man almost dropped his dishes. He could feel the heat rush to his face and he dare not look at her. "I-its as I already said, Pascal. There is n-nothing in particular."

"I know that's not true~" She grinned, now tip-toeing her fingers up his arm to his shoulder where she proceeded to lean up again and speak quietly in his ear "You won't look at me and you're also a terrible liar~"

Hubert closed his eyes to keep composure, set down the rinsed dishes and turned to face her. When he opened his eyes, he saw the cutest expression that Pascal could ever give. Her "I'm interested" expression. With her smile curved into a cats grin and her eyes wide with interest, he couldn't help but want to smile along with her. It had been quite a while since they had last been together like this. She was happy and playful like usual and he couldn't help but feel awkward and out of his comfort zone, even if he did enjoy her teasing him a bit.

"I have not told a lie. I like every part of you equally." He spoke, staring seriously into her eyes.

Although his words charmed her, she still could not seem to get off the subject and decided to pry into it further.

"Alright~" She said, stepping backward and doing a little twirl "What would you rather have me in, a dress or regular clothes?"

Hubert placed his hand upon his chin and looked at her form. "I do enjoy you dressing formal, considering it out of the norm and you do look quite nice in a dress... but your regular attire suits you just fine. I don't prefer either."

The girl couldn't help but pout and place her hands on her hips, in such a way Cheria might. His response was very typical of him and she didn't really expect anything less, however it wasn't exactly an answer either.

"Y'okay... Lets try this..." She spun around once more "Would you rather have me clothed or naked?"

This question caused his awkwardness to flare up even further and he coughed. "Pascal... why are you asking me this?" His curiosity was now getting the better of him. Sure, it was like her to ask strange things and to persist on matters he didn't want to discuss, however she had never once taken an interest in what he liked about her physically. More of a go-with-the-flow type of girl, the idea had never even crossed her mind in the entirety of their relationship so... why now?

"No reason really" She fibbed and stuck out her tongue to try and hide it "Just suddenly interested, is all."

"Well even if that is the case, I'm sticking by my answer. Whether clothed or not clothed, I like you the same."

Pascal began to tap her food in annoyance. "You're being a butt, Hu."

Hubert gasped and crossed his arms. "That's uncalled for! I am not a... a butt! You're a butt!" he hollered back, flabbergasted that she would say such a thing.

"Nah... You're totally being a butt." She nodded, agreeing with herself.

"How so?!" He demanded, now completely feeling insulted. "All I've done is answer you truthfully. I can't help if you don't like my answers!"

Suddenly, an idea popped into Pascal's head and instead of responding to his cries, she rushed off towards their bedroom "I'll be back in just a second!" she yelled, running down the hallway. "You just wait there!"

"W-what? Why?!" Hubert yelled back, hesitating on if he should listen to her or follow anyway. "What are you going to do?"

"Just. Wait. There!" She insisted loudly, making a loud BAM noise as she closed their bedroom door.

The young man stood there, feeling stupid and impatient as he waited for his wife to come back out. "What could she possibly be doing?" He wondered out loud "And why must I stay here?"

He decided it would be best if he finished the dishes while she take whatever amount of time was necessary. Within minutes, his task was done but she was not back. He was beginning to feel anxious.

"Pascal!" He yelled, still standing where she had left him. "Its been precisely 15 minutes. I don't know what you're doing but if you don't come back out in 5 then I'm coming after you."

As he finished his sentence, he could hear the door open back up and her walking back down the hallway. When she finally got to him, his immediate response was slapping himself in the forehead and clenching his fist. "What... in God's name are you doing wearing that...?"

Dressed in a very familiar outfit almost made entirely of blue, Pascal had managed to fit into his uniform. "Whatcha think?" She asked, twirling around.

"Take it off right this instant, my uniform is not something you can just parade in!" He insisted, still too frustrated to look at her.

"So than you DO prefer me naked!" She yelled, sounding victorious.

"N-no! I never said that!" He yelled back, removing his hand from his face and swiping it in a defensive motion. "Thats not how it is as all!"

Pascal gave an ironic smirk and giggled "Says the guy getting all flustered and bothered~"

"I forbid you to wear my standard attire! It is for Strahtan Military Lieutenants only! Not something to play dress up in!"

Finding his demands to be both amusing and challenging, the Amarcian poked at his chest "Then why not do something about it, ya?"

Giving another gasp, Hubert was starting to become angered at her attitude. "Are you really insisting I force you to remove it?"

She leaned forward and gave an even bigger smirk "And what if I am~" she instigated.

Hubert grit his teeth and tried to remain calm and rational. He knew she was only trying to get a rise out of him for her own amusement, but the charade had gone on long enough. Her pestering and teasing him was now making him angry. "Take it off, Pascal."

Pascal twirled and danced in front of him, not giving in one bit "I think I look pretty good in blue, dontcha think?" she taunted.

"Take. It off. NOW!" He ordered, nearing his breaking point.

"Maybe I should just see if the President will give me my own pair, ya know? So I don't gotta steal yours-"

Before she could finish he thought, Hubert had finally snapped and grabbed onto her shoulders.

"If you want me to treat you like a child and man handle you, than so be it"

His grip on her shoulders was a little bit too tight for Pascals liking, and she tried to wiggle lose but failed. The anger and frustration inside him had become too much and he had now officially lost his temper. Swiftly, he turned her around and propped her against the kitchen sink. He could see the surprise in her face but ignored it. This was apparently what she had in mind so he was going to show her he was serious.

Starting with the top of the jacket, he quickly untied the ribbon towards her neck, then moved down to the straps securing the bottom towards her stomach. The tight fitting material that was the base of his uniform, fit very snugly around her upper body as it was not meant for someone with breasts to be wearing. Part of him grew more frustrated at the fact she could be stretching the material further to where it would not fit him, and the other peeked an interest in the curves that was his wife's body. After undoing the ties and straps, he yanked at the sleeves, pulling off the jacket. Holding it in his hand, he looked back down at Pascal again. Her expression hadn't really changed much from it being a mixture of shocked, surprised and amused. His eyes trailed down further to the outline of her chest and down to where his boots began on her. Everything fit so... securely that it outlined every little bit of her perfectly.

Hubert could feel his urges growing but made sure he would not give into them. This was not the time nor the place to be having such urges. Neatly, he folded his uniform jacket and placed it on the kitchen table in back of him. Pascal did not move so he went back to undressing his clothes from her. He reached behind her to find the button at the top, however, Pascal began to struggle again, making it hard for him to unfasten it.

"Stop!" He growled as he fussed with her but she did not ease up. His anger and frustrations grew even further to a point where he felt like striking her to make her stop. Being a man of rationality, he ignored it and continued to struggle until he got it undone.

"Come on, Hu!" She whined as she struggled against him. "You're being no fun!"

Her words were not entirely true. Secretly inside, she found his roughing with her quite amusing and had no intentions on stopping. The feeling of him handling her and showing such force actually only pushed her to continue.

"Fun?!" He mocked, now attempting to unzip the fabric from behind. "What's even worse is I can tell that you haven't bathed in a while either! So not only are you ruining the shape of my uniform but also dirtying it as well!" Unfortunately, he could only unzip it half way until it snagged.

Hubert growled and turned her around so that he could unzip it properly. He could hear her whine something else under her breathe but gave it no thought. Soon as it was fixed, he finished unzipping his suit and tried his best to pull her arms out of it, but of course she playfully resisted him.

"Pascal, I have no more patients for this!" He hollered loudly, still trying to pull the sleeves off.

He turned her towards him again to make the job easier but was forced to stop as he saw her breasts had been revealed from what little he did manage to get off of her. His face, already red from anger, turned even darker and he hesitated.

"What?" She asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"I-its nothing." He insisted, calming his head and now continuing to remove the suit.

Pascal suddenly wrapped her arms around him, pushing the suit snugly back on even if it was unfastened in the back and hugged him tight. "You're adorable!" She smiled. All of her sadness had been completely lifted at this point.

Hubert enjoyed her hug for a moment until he realized how his intolerant body was reacting and began to push her off. _"This is absolutely not the time and place for that!"_ He scolded himself internally.

"What?" She asked again, but was ignored.

Hubert had become mixed with many emotions that now collided with each other. Angry, Lust, Embarrassment, Frustration. All were now starting to give the lieutenant a headache.

"Its nothing, don't worry about it." He assured her, placing a head on his forehead. "Please just remove my garments!"

"No!" She giggled, trying to rezip the back. The reason it had taken her so long putting it on was the zipping up part. It was hard to do by yourself and she had no idea how he managed it everyday.

Hubert groaned. The fight was going to have to continue.

Giving himself a second to collect, he grabbed both her arms again and pinned them against the counter. She was not going to redo everything he had just struggled to undo!

He was so close to her now, he realized. Unable to resist, he stared angrily into her eyes before giving her a passionate kiss. With his head completely messed up and his body disobeying him, it was all he could do. Her lips were dry and unready but he didn't care. Slowly, he gripped her wrists harder as he deepened the kiss, pushing her up against the counter.

This woman drove him crazy. She was a bouncing ball of unending energy that he could never hope to tame. She was everything he loved and envied. She was his wife and he realized that there was absolutely no logical reason, aside from normality, that he could not give into to his temptations.

Breaking his lips from hers, his goal still stood in his mind. He grabbed on the sleeves of the suit and tugged them forward, revealing all of her chest. He could hear a little "eep!" come from her mouth but he was far from caring.

"The boots, now." He commanded, looking at her to respond.

Pascal shook her head in defiance and he found he must literally do this all himself.

He knelt down and lifted her left leg and removed his uniform boot, tossing it behind him. They both heard the loud "thud" of it reaching the floor. The next boot was no different. He lifted her right leg, removed the boot and tossed it behind him. There was no way the rest of the suit would come off easy without them removed.

Placing his hands on her hips and applying most of his strength to his raised knee, he pushed himself up back to her eye level. He let his hands glide from her hips back up until they reached her skin.

Pascal looked dazed and curious.

Taking her one of her wrists again, he spun her around to face the counter once more as he proceeded to remove the suit. Thankfully, she complied and stopped struggling against him.

Using both of his hands, he forced them under the fabric around her sides and began to slide it off and down her legs until they reaching her ankles. "Kick it off." He ordered, in a calm and almost seductive tone. Pascal nodded and awkwardly kicked off the remainder of his uniform. Using his foot, he slid it off to the side.

The Amarcian stood naked in front of him, still facing away with her hands on the counter. Hoping he she wasn't complying due to fear, he placed his hands on her shoulder and ran them down her arm. He could feel her shiver beneath his fingertips. She had not said one word since he had kissed her. Hubert learned towards her right ear "Are you gonna be good now?" He whispered.

Pascal shook her head in response. Her making him mad was causing him to be very strange and she was enjoying it, even if she wasn't too sure this was the right thing to do.

Hubert couldn't help but grin. "Alright then."

He couldn't exactly understand why, but her defiance was strongly arousing him. He was used to giving orders to his troops and being a strong leader. He was also used to Pascal not listening to him and having to scold her often, however this was different. He could tell she was purposely trying to agitate him and even if he didn't understand fully why, it gave into his lustful side. Hubert removed his hands from her wrists and trailed them back up her arm, then down to her midsection. They made their way to her breasts and lightly squeezed them. He could hear her gasp in surprise and it made his heart pound. His fingertips could feel her soft, warm skin. Slowly, he started to massage them. "Will you continue to be bad then?" He continued to whisper in her ear, not stopping his hands motions.

Pascal closed her eyes and nodded in response.

Hoping just for that, he gave a small chuckle. "Good." He confessed. "I'm having too much fun."

As he messaged her firm breasts, he could feel her nipple becoming erect and press up against his palm. With such a reaction, he was only tempted to play with those too. Letting his fingertips glide from the sides of her breast to the point, he squeezed both nipples gently. If she insisted on being bad, he had no choice but to punish her in many ways. He rolled her nipples with his thumb and first to fingers, causing her to whine in pleasure. It had been so long since he had been able to touch her and tonight she would be at his mercy. He was the lion, and she was his prey.

With finesse, he removed his hands from her breasts, spun her back around and picked her up bridal style in his arms. He could see her eyes we wide in surprise and her face red.

"Where are we going?" She asked, struggling a little bit to get comfortable.

Without a response, Hubert placed her sitting on the table next to his folded uniform jacket, pulled her forward and locked her in a passionate kiss once more. Pascal did not resist and returned the feelings. He reached back up once more for her breasts and continued where he left off on teasing them.

Pascal was unable to keep herself forced on his lips, broke away and cringed at the pleasure shooting through her body. "Hu..." she whimpered.

Hubert grinned once more and proceeded to kiss down her neck. Stopping at her collar bone, he began to nibble at it.

It had been so long since they had, had such spontaneous sex. In fact, this probably was only the second time since they had both first done it in her place back in the enclave. The feeling of him touching her was wonderful, yet confusing. _"He was so mad and now... hes turned on?"_ she thought to herself, trying her best to relax as he had his way. _"Maybe Cheria was right. This is all he really wanted."_

The table was hard and uncomfortable on her butt, and Pascal began to wiggle around to try and relieve the discomfort it was causing. Hubert noticed her fidgeting and looked up at her. Giving her a small kiss, he pushed her down to lay on the table.

"H-Hu?!" The startled woman yelled.

Placing the index finger on his right hand on her chest, he slowly moved it down to her belly button. "If you're uncomfortable, then lay down." He responded in amusement. "Normally I would say this would be highly improper and disgusting as we eat here but... tables can be cleaned."

Completely unsure on how to respond to such a statement uttered from her practical husbands mouth, Pascal just laid there helplessly and closed her eyes with embarrassment.

She could feel him begin to lightly kiss down her chest and make his way to her nipples once more. With one quick lick, they had become erect again and he started to gently nibble on them. Doing her best to keep quiet and not try to alarm him, she closed her mouth and whined. More strikes of lightning pleasure were sent through her body. It was incredibly powerful as it had been so long since he had done these kind of things to her. She could feel her bodies heat began to rise and her skin become sensitive. Her brain became fuzzy with pleasure and as he continued to tease her nipples with his mouth, she lost the will to stay quiet. Opening her mouth, she gasped to air and let out her hidden whines.

Hubert was satisfied with her reactions to him and decided it was time to move on. Removing his mouth from her breasts, he started to kiss down her chest again. He placed his hands on her thighs and caressed them up and down softly. Ever so slightly, they would make their way higher and higher up her thigh until his kisses reached her belly button. He removed one of his hands from her thigh and stroked down the middle of her private area. This caused Pascal to shiver again, which was a response he was hoping for. Kissing again down to her public line, he began to suck an nibble on her skin, his hand continuing the stroking motion until he could feel her genitalia becoming hard with arousal. Playfully, he began to rub her clitoris with his fingers as he had done before in the past. She started to twitch and fidget beneath him and make quiet moans as he teased her. Normally, the fact he knew she hadn't bathed in a few days would have caused him to throw her in the bathroom to wash up but there was no time for that now. He could feel the member in his pants grow rock hard as he imagined what he was about to do. Though they had sex very seldomly, she had tasted him before but never let him do the same. Today was his birthday and it was his right to do whatever he wished. It began to throb with the thought of tasting her. She was already quite aroused and he could feel her body's natural lubricant emerge onto his fingers as he played with her.

Moving his head away from her midsection, he leaned up towards his wife's flustered face, plunging his fingers inside her and watching her cry out in pleasure.

"Pascal..." He quietly called out, not stopping his thrusting motions inside of her. "I know you don't want me to, but I'm going to do it anyway."

"N-n-noo..." She whined, trying to keep composure to reply. "D-don't!"

He started thrusting his fingers faster, watching the pleasure on her face with much amusement and satisfaction. "Its punishment. You have no say."

Pascal had become unable to reject his wants, as her mind was now completely blind with pleasure and only moaned loudly. His fingered slowed their thrusting and began to wiggle around. He could feel that his hand was soaked in her pleasure juices and that she was close to her climax. It was time for him to have a feast of kings.

Hubert removed his fingers and with both hands, grabbed her legs and pulled her bottom closer to the edge of the table.

"Hu, Dont!" He could hear her plead some more, but it mattered not. He moved his wet hand back up to her vagina and began to rub her clit some more, causing her body to twitch. It was round and puffy; engorged with blood just as his own member was. It was sensitive and he could feel it pulse under his finger. Slowly, he brought his face to her and licked it. It was hot and tangy with a hint of saltiness but not as bad as he might have thought. Her whines of ecstasy and frustration became louder.

His tongue was hot and smooth. The feeling he was giving her body was similar to what his hands could do, but different. It was much more relaxing but intense at the same time. Clenching both her fists, she could feel her body giving into his tongues dance. More and more, she was drawn into the feelings. Her pleasure had already become high with what his hands were doing before, but now it had reached a new height. It made her feel like she was going to explode if he continued.

Hearing his wife's moans from his mouth, Hubert needed no more assurance that this was something she enjoyed. To continue to make things interesting and more exciting for the both of them, he thrusted his fingers back inside her as he licked. Instantly, she let out a cry of pleasure and he could feel her legs begin to tremor. He could tell she was close and enjoyed every second of himself. With her outcries and body shivers, he felt like the best possible man he could be. A wonderful lover to his partner in life. _"Only I can make her feel this way.."_ he thought, encouraging himself further.

Pascal's body could not hold out anymore. He was pleasuring her inside and out. She could feel the muscles inside her body begin to tense up. Breathing fast and heavy, she grabbed on to his free hand resting on he left thigh and let herself go. Crying out in the most pleasure she had ever experienced, her body orgasmed violently.

Hubert stopped licking her and smirked at her indication of finishing, but continued to thrust inside her until she couldn't handle it anymore.

"Please, stop!" She cried out. "Its too much!" Pascal couldn't handle it anymore, as her body became way too sensitive for him touching her.

Understanding her feelings, he removed himself from inside her and wiped her mouth with his sleeve. "I'm gonna have to do a lot of cleaning tomorrow." He commented, referring to his current clothes, the ones she had worn and the table.

Feeling incredibly vulnerable, Pascal curled up into a ball on the table and scowled. This only amused Hubert further. Reaching out, he grabbed the young womans hand and pulled her back to a sitting position. "I'm pleased you enjoyed yourself." He watched her face blush in embarrassment and chuckled to himself. "But I'm not quite done with you yet."

"uh.. huh?" Pascal started at him shocked, before he pulled her to her feet.

Hubert proceeded in unfastening his own jacket, casually pulling it off and placing it on top his other one. He turned, facing away from her and pointed to his button and zipper on the back of him.

"Oh!" Pascal giggled, helping him remove his own clothing. Must faster than he had done on her, he removed his suit and placed it neatly on a chair. How he was down to just his underwear and socks.

Hubert looked down at himself and could see his own body was as ready as it could ever be. Normally, he would have been embarrassed at the sight of himself, but considering the situation it seemed only natural and he shrugged.

Pascal could clearly see it too. A soldier standing ready for battle. Taking it upon herself, she grabbed him and pulled him closer to her. She looked into her husband's crystal blue eyes and smiled. "Is there anything special you want me to do?"

After thinking for a moment, Hubert shook his head. "No, actually I already have things in mind. You don't have to do anything except follow instructions."

"Er... Y'okay" Pascal replied, with an interested expression on her face. She continued to rub him until he pushed her hand away and turned her around to face the table. With both his hands, he grabbed her own and placed them on the table. With his feet, he kicked her feet further apart.

"Lean forward." He ordered, pushing on her back gently. He was acting as if he had done things like this many times in his life, when in fact this was the first. An army needs a strong commander and he had talent for acting like one.

Pascal obeyed and leaned until her head almost touched the table top. To get more comfortable, she crossed her arms in front of her.

"Good." He praised as he eyed the view. Using his index finger, he ran his finger from the top of her spine down to her butt, causing her to gasp and shiver. He reached underneath her and began to play with her vagina once more.

"A-ahh!" She moaned, bracing herself and closing her eyes.

Hubert nodded in assurance. She was still very wet and ready for him to enter inside her. He pulled off his underwear and kicked them to the side, angled himself behind her and thrusted himself. Although she was positioned slightly higher than preference, it would work for now. He didnt want to exit her body. Giving her a moment to accept his forced entrance, he used the time to take in how she felt. So hot and pillowy inside. It was something else he had come to miss in her absence. Him taking care of his own needs paled in comparison to how her body could make him feel.

Slowly, he moved himself in and out of her to gain rhythm.

Pascal moaned slowly as he massaged her insides. They were no longer as sensitive as they were a little while ago, but still hadn't fully recovered either. She tightly closed her eyes and focused on his hard member thrusting in and out of her. Her mouth gaped open and she continued to let out how he was making her feel. Although he still continued to take care of his own needs while she was away, she had not done the same. The thought of her mimicking the things he had done to her was just kind of awkward, so she always had ignored her urges whenever she noticed them, rare as that was. Pascal was much too busy with her work to even notice hunger, let alone sexual urges.

Hubert had gained momentum and continued to thrust inside of her, it seemed the harder he thrusted, the louder she became. Quickly, he had changed from going slow and easy, to much faster paced and harder. Huberts body became hot and tired, as he did his best to hold back his pleasure. Although this was supposed to be his climax, he still wanted it to be good for her as well and didn't want to finish so soon but... it was hard to hold back. With her moaning loudly and his member rubbing up against her insides, it was becoming difficult. His mind was becoming fuzzy and he could feel his body begin to sweat.

"W-wait!" Hubert heard the hesitant breathful voice of his wife and gratefully stopped. He was becoming to close anyway.

"Yeah?" He awkwardly replied back, pulling himself out and backed away to give her some room.

Pascal straightened herself back up and could feel her balance was a little off. Wobbling a little, she grabbed on to the table and laughed. "I wanna do something too."

The tired young man nodded. He had been controlling everything and even though it was fun, doing something the wanted to do could be just as enjoyable.

Pascal grabbed his hand and started yanking his arm downward. "Get on the floor" She smiled.

"S-sure.." Hubert said, doing as she asked. The moment his bare butt touched the floor, he cringed a little. It was cold and odd. Looking back up at his wife, he could see how happy she was so he figured it wasn't too bad.

Getting down on the floor herself, Pascal placed a hand on his chest and pushed him back just as he had done to her. He shivered as his back touched the cold stone and she giggled. Climbing on top of him, she got really close to his face. "Remember the first time we did it?"

"Of course I do." He replied in a matter-of-fact tone. "How could I forget?"

Figuring her hint was a pretty dead give away for what she wanted to do, she nodded and kissed him lightly before moving down towards his midsection. Straddling above him, she slowly pushed his still hard member inside of her. This time, her body had become used to him and it didn't hurt. Sitting down on top of him for a moment, she made eye contact with her husband. His penis pulsing inside her, he gave an almost painful expression. Pascal knew he was far overdue for his own pleasurable experience and she wanted to give it to him.

Gently, she began to grind against him, pulling him in and out just as he had done before. Her area had become slippery and wet so it glided out easily. Using the muscles inside, she clenched around him to give more friction for the both of them. Looking back over at him, she could see his pleasured expression and smiled warmly to herself. It was wonderful to know she could make him happy. Moving her hips faster, she made the thrusts deeper and deeper until she could feel her own pleasure rise. With her being on top, it was possible for her to control how he made her feel and this interested her. Changing speed and depth, she experimented with the grinding motions, with every so often, looking up at him to see if he was still enjoying himself.

After a few moments, Hubert grabbed both her arms and pulled her closer to him. Stunned for a moment, Pascal did not stop moving on top of him but leaned down and kissed him. It was rather hard to keep up both the kiss and the moving of her hips, so she had to break away to continue her work. They could kiss all they wanted after they were done. The constant penetration was beginning to make her body grow hot again, as she could feel her own pleasures raising. Losing concentration on him, she began to only focus on herself and got into a rhythm.

Hubert had never let her do all the work before but enjoyed just taking the pleasure. He placed his hands on her hips as she moved up against him, controlling their union. As much as he wanted to open his eyes and look at the face of his beautiful wife in pleasure, he couldn't help but keep them closed and just enjoy her movements. He could feel her body start to sweat as he held on to her. Still very light headed from him doing work earlier, and it didn't take very long for him to get back into having to hold back his pleasure. _"Not so soon..."_ he kept in mind, trying to discipline his body, but her moans were beginning to drive him crazy.

Having lost all thought of momentum, Pascal was now completely in the zone and working her own self over with little to no thought of her husband beneath her. The feeling of him inside her. His throbbing member rubbing up against her insides. It felt so good. It felt too good. Tightly closing her eyes, she could no longer bare to hold back. Although her taking control was to ultimately force purely on him, it was no longer possible. Pascal had become overcome with her own lust and couldn't stop. "P-pascal..." She could hear him call out. "I can't hold back any longer." This was the exact thing she was hoping to hear, what luck! Plunging him deep inside her, she could feel all her muscles tightening again and continued to quickly ride on top of him until she couldn't take it anymore. Gripping his hands on her hips, she cried out loudly and climaxed a second time.

Hubert, although enjoying his wife's ecstasy, decided to utilize this time to to take matters into his own hands. Still holding tightly on to her, he raised her slightly higher and began to thrust himself in her, causing her to cry out loudly in both pleasure and overly sensitivity. It only took another minute or so before he let himself experience the same thing as her; pure mind blowing and breath taking rapture.

Pascal had become completely exhausted at this point, and let herself melt on top of him. Placing her head on his chest, she listened to the loud thumping of his heartbeat and smiled. She was breathing so hard, it almost gave her the sensation of coughing but she held it down in her chest and just relaxed. She could feel her lover wrap his tired arms around her and just lay there in each others embrace. The sight was one to truly behold. Hubert, who was all about structure and time and place for everything, had just forced Pascal to have sex in their kitchen. The thought was almost laughable and Pascal could not contain herself. Without warning, she began to giggle on top of him.

The Strahtan lieutenant awkwardly lifted his head and looked at her. "W-what?!"

Pascal shook her head but continued to laugh. "It totally nothing."

"There you go with lying again. One doesn't simply laugh for no reason. Spill it." He demanded, but not in a harsh tone. He was just as happy and light hearted as her and wanted nothing more than to share more happiness with her.

"I was just thinking how ridiculous we must look naked on the kitchen floor!" She explained "Especially since you would have never allowed this normally."

Hubert blushed but understood what she was saying "Y-yes... w-well... there can always be exceptions sometimes."

Pascal sighed happily and continued to listen to his heartbeat. It had calmed a little and so had hers. The excitement was over and now it was time to just enjoy the time they could spend together. It was also funny to think that Cheria was actually right about sex being a good birthday present for Hubert. _"Maybe she had a similar situation happen?"_ she mused in her head.

After being on the floor for sometime, Hubert decided it would be best for the both of them get up and get cleaned. Since he had no idea when she had taken her last bath, he figured it would be good if they both took one. Being riddled with bodily excretions wasn't the most enjoyable thing ever and they both could use a good wash down. He got up and lead her to the bathroom with no argument and they both continued to enjoy each other in the bath tub. With her splashing water in his face and him holding her still and scrubbing her head, it was just like back when they lived in the enclave.

The bath took a reasonable amount of time and once Hubert deemed them both completely clean, he let her out of the tub to run around naked for a while until forcing her into some clean bed clothes. Although it wasn't time to sleep, he couldn't have his Amarcian wife just running around naked. What if there was some unexpected visitor? "Its always best to be prepared" he told her. The rest of their evening was spent just lounging around the house talking about their escapades. Him and his work out on the field training his soldiers and defeating tough monsters. Her and her research, excavations and theories regarding Fodra. The two didn't have very much in common, but their love for their planet, family, friends and their job was a big thing. It was something both could always bond over, even when one had no idea what the other was talking about.

"To think, some little invention of yours could change the entire world." Hubert spoke fondly to his wife, running his fingers through her feathery two-toned hair.

"You think?" She questioned excitedly.

"I don't see why not. You've created a lot of useful things for everyone."

Pascal hummed to herself, thinking. A bunch of inventions she was considering making began to run through her head. Making cooler mechas, reinforcing things, things to make things easier, things so maybe she didn't have to take a bath so often... lots of things! However, there was one thing she couldn't make by herself.

"Why don't you help me make something cool?" She asked, looking up at him seriously.

"Me?" He was in shock "Surely you jest? How could I help you make anything? I know nothing about engineering aside from the basics and I have no patience for small breakable parts."

"Nothing mechanical..." She started, a blush gracing her cheeks. "Think something a little bit more warm and fleshy." Hubert, as bright as he could be, gave her a strange and bewildered look. "A baby!"

For a moment, Hubert had no real response to her suggestion. Sure, he'd always wanted to start a family of his own but was now really the time? With Pascal always on another planet and with him sometimes needing to be away on missions... how could they even take care of a child? Hubert cleared his throat. "If we were to try and start a family, we would have to make sure our child comes before everything. Could you put your child before your research?"

Having never really thought of that, Pascal became silent. Her research was what drove her. It was something very important to her. Learning and making stuff was the one thing she was really good at. "I dunno... maybe?"

"Maybe is not a reasonable answer to the question, Pascal. Dont suggest such serious things if you haven't even thought it through." He scolded. "Not only would the child have to be put in front of both of our jobs, but if you were to get pregnant, it wouldn't be safe for you to venture up to Fodra at all. The gravity from traveling and forth would be far too harsh on your insides and could possibly injure both you and the child."

"Yeah... I guess I never really thought of that..." Pascals voice became quiet and had hint of sadness. "Does that mean we gotta stop doing the do?"

Groaning a little inside, Hubert continued playing with her hair. "I didnt say that... We would just have to be more careful. It can't always be unprotected like today and... all the other times."

Pascal couldn't help but laugh "We're pretty irresponsible, Hu!"

Flustered, he moved off the sofa and let Pascal fall onto the cushions where he once sat. He pushed his glasses back in place and turned his head "Not everyone is perfect, you know! I'll get us some dinner."

The hungry Amarcian nodded and got comfortable where she lay, as she watch her husband disappear into the kitchen. Thoughts of Cheria's plump stomach came into her mind. To have a human being live inside her. For two people to combine their genes into a whole person. To have all of that happen because of sex. She began to wonder what their child could even look like. Whose hair and eye color would the child have? What gender would the child be? As she thought these things, she couldn't help but rub her own stomach.

Hubert walked back in with a tray of tea and set it down in front of her. Eyeing her hands on her stomach, he flustered even further. "Are you seriously considering dropping your work to have a child?"

"Mayyyyyybe" She playfully replied, looking up at him in a hopeful manner.

"What has you thinking about making a family anyhow? I always thought you didn't want such things until you had completed everything you wanted in your life? Adventuring and such?"

Pascal moved herself into a sitting position and grabbed a cup of tea. "Cuz we're gonna be someone's aunt and uncle, Hu!"

"Excuse me?" Hubert replied, startled. "Are you insinuating that my brother is going to be having a child?!"

With a nod, Pascal pressed the cup to her lips and took a light sip. The beverage was still much to hot to drink regularly and she placed it back down. "Yup! sure am!"

"And why was I not sent a message about this? How far along is she?" Hubert was now beginning to feel left out of the loop and even insulted. "I have half a mind of sending them a message right now!"

"Nooooooooooooo!" Pascal whined. "They haven't told anyone yet outside of Lhant. Cheria said they weren't ready and when they were, they were gonna send letters or whatever. I just know cuz I stopped over there and her belly was all BAM out to here!" She motioned with her hands in front of her stomach.

"Even so..." Hubert started placing a hand on his chin in thought. "I would have expected my mother to have notified me right away when she found out. Is it possible she doesn't know yet?"

Pascal shrugged and took another sip of her tea. "What food are you making?"

"Something simple. Baked chicken and some rice. Are you sure we arent the last to know?"

"I have no idea, Hu. I'm just repeating what they told me." Patting the seat next to her, Pascal smiled at her husband then grasped the air towards him. "Come come! Sit sit!"

Reluctantly obeying, Hubert sat down where she wanted and unexpectedly received a big hug from her. Looking over at her stomach, similar thoughts to which she just had came into his mind. It would be irresponsible for them to consider starting a family now, however they weren't getting any younger either. There was also the possibility of Fourier being able to take Pascals place in overlooking the team on Fodra.

"Pascal, I think that if you were to become pregnant after today... I wouldn't mind so much." He admitted, blushing slightly.

Surprised, Pascal looked up at him with a bright grin. "Really?!"

Scratching the back of his head, he nervously looked away. "Not like we could do much about it now anyway. The deed has been done and the only way to prevent it would be protecting ourselves in the future. If you were to get pregnant now, we'd just have to make the best of it"

It was silly to remember that just a day prior, she was worried that he thought she was a horrible wife. She thought their marriage could have been a mistake and that she possibly made him very unhappy. Here, now, they were sitting in their house in and talking about maybe growing a family together! Today had been a wonderful day, even with the waterworks from earlier.

"I love you, Hu!" Pascal said warmly, leaning over and kissing him with all the love in her heart.

Not expecting such a show of affection, Hubert was caught off guard but reciprocated with a kiss back. "I love you too, Pascal."

Their future was unknown but only one thing was for certain... Even with ups and downs... and maybe even lefts and rights, they were happy together and whatever was to happen later, they would walk through it together.

 _FIN_


End file.
